Expanded-metal-making apparatus



Nov. 4 I924.

E. T. REDDING EXPANDED METAL MAKING APPARATUS Filed July so. 1921 2Sheets-Shea. 1

gmtoz Nov. 4.. 1924.

5. T. REDDING EXPANDED METAL MAKING APPARATUS Filed July 30. 1921 2Sheets-Sheet 2 PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD T. BEDDING, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO CONSOLIDATEDEXPANDED METAL COMPANIES, A

CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

EXPANDED-METAL-MAKING APPARATUS.

Application filled July 30,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it ,known that I, EDWARD T. BEDDING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Swissvale, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inExpanded-Metal-Making Apparatus, of which the following isaspecification.

This invention relates to apparatus for making expanded metal fabric. Incertain of such apparatus, particularly that used in following theso-called Golding process in which the diamonds are formed by a shearingoperation, there is a tendency to curl or distort the end diamonds of asheet, this curling bein especially noticeable in fabric of large messuch, for example, as a road fabric.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to overcome thisdifliculty and to thereby improve the product, reduce the cast and thewastage, and to facilitate packing.

The foregoing, together with such other objects as ma hereinafterappear, or are incident to my lnvention, I obtain by means of aconstruction illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one form of shearing machine equippedwith my improvements; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross section illustratingsuch improvements in side elevation and on an enlarged scale; Fig. 3 isa section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section andside elevation, showing the parts in another position; Fig. 5 is a planView of Fig. 4 with the machine parts omitted; Fig. 6 is .a frontelevation of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a view corresponding to Fig. 6, butillustrating the parts in a different position; and Fig. 8 is a viewillustrating the distortion of the end of a sheet which it is sought toavoid.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be sufficient to point out, asto the machine in general, that it includes the vertically reciprocatingmember A having a plurality of half-diamond shearing dies 10; the tablemember B having a die 11; and the horizontally reciprocable frame C,comprising the bars 12 and 13 operated by the cam mechanism D, the blank14: to be expanded being supported on the upper part of the frame C soas to be shifted therewith but being capable of being advanced as theexpanding is in progress. The construction 1921. Serial No. 488,569.

and operation of these parts is well understood in the art, and it willsuffice to point out thatwhen the blank has been shifted (relative tothe dies 10) to the osition to shear the half-diamonds a no ciflicultyis encountered; but when the blank is in the position shown in Fig. 3,(relative to the dies 10) to shear loose the other half of the diamonds,the end bridges a are unsupported so that the dies, in shearing, tend toturn down the bridge and crumple up the strands b, as illustrated inFig. 8, producing a ragged, uneven end on the sheet.

I overcome the objectionable feature described by supporting the endbridge portion a of each diamond during the shearing loose of the secondhalf thereof. This is done by the following means: I mount yieldingsupports, indicated as a whole by the letter E, on the bar 13 of theframe C so as to move therewith, such supports being located so as comeadjacent the ends of the sheet being formed in position to support theend bridges as they are sheared.

The supports are composed of a main.

vertical plate 15 to the front edge of which is secured a member 16having a groove providing an undercut shoulder 17 at the top cooperatinwith a removable wed e member 18 to t the bar 13 and adjustab y lock thesupport in an desired position longitudinally of the ar; the groovedmember 19 which slidably receives a bar 20, the upper end 21 of which isturned in to engage under the-bridge; and the spring held lever 22 whichyieldlngly holds the bar 20 against the lower face of the brid e. Thetension of thespring 23 is adjusted the wing nut 24, and the stroke ofthe lever by the set screw 25.

When the parts are in the position of Fig. 7 the end 21 of the barengages the ed e of the blank but performs little, if any, tion duringthe shearing operation there indicated. When the parts have shifted tothe position of Fig. 3 for forming the other half of the diamonds,during which operation the bridge a will be sheared loose, it will beseen that the bar 20 yieldingly supports the bridge and prevents thecrumpling of the end strands and the turning down of the bridge.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the dies 10 are in upper position just before thebeginnin of the down stroke and in Figs. 4 andG, t ey have completedtheir down shearing stroke, and from inspection of these figures it willbe understood how the bridge is held laterally against the end dies toprevent the distortion, while at the same time the bar 20 yields topermit 7 of the descent of the dies.

The operation is simple and effective, the parts are always in operativeposition and the supports may be adjusted to suit sheets of differentwidths.

I claim: I

1. The combinationwith a guillotine machine' for making expanded metalfabric of the Golding type of means for holding an end portion of thesheet laterally against the moving shearing die permitting movement ofthe die to shear such portion loose.

2. The combination with a guillotine machine for making expanded metalfabric of the Golding type, of means moving with the shearing die forlaterally supporting an end portion of the sheet while such portion isbeing sheared loose by the die.

3. The combination with a guillotine machine for making expanded metalfabric of the Golding type, of means for laterally engaging andyieldingly supporting an end portion of the sheet against the shearingdie while such portion is being sheared loose by the die.

4. The combination with a guillotine machine for making expanded metalfabric of the Golding type, of means for laterally supporting an endportion of the sheet while such portion is being sheared loose by theshearing die, said means comprising a member spring pressed against suchportion opposite the die.

5. A guillotine machine for making expanded metal fabric of the Goldingtype comprising a horizontally reciprocable frame for shifting the sheetto be operated on, and means moving with said frame for laterallysupporting an end portion of the sheet While being sheared loose.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

EDWVARD T. BEDDING.

